第24章

TheBillexcitedgeneralopposition。Bentham’sanalysisisthemostfamous

ofthecriticismsthathavesurvived，butinsomesenseshisoppositionwas

lessseriousthanthedismayofmagistratesandratepayers。Hostilepetitions

pouredintotheHouseofCommonsfromLondonandfromallpartsofthecountry；

amongotherstherewerepetitionsfromShrewsbury，Oswestry，Worcester，Bristol，

Lincoln，Carmarthen，Bedford，ChesterandGodalming。(83*)Howlettattacked

theschemeonthegroundofthedangerofparishrobberyandcorruption。

Pittapparentlymadenoattempttodefendhisplan，andhesurrenderedit

withoutamurmur。Wearethusleftinthecuriousanddisappointingposition

ofhavingbeforeusaBillonthemostimportantsubjectoftheday，introduced

andabandonedbythePrimeMinisterwithoutawordorsyllableinitsdefence。

Whitbreadobserved(84*)fouryearslaterthattheBillwasbroughtinand

printed，butneverbroughtunderthediscussionoftheHouse。Pitt’sexcuse

issignificant：’Hewas，asformerly，convincedofitspropriety；butmany

objectionshadbeenstartedtoitbythosewhoseopinionhewasboundto

respect。Inexperiencedhimselfincountryaffairs，andintheconditionof

thepoor，hewasdiffidentofhisownopinion，andwouldnotpressthemeasure

upontheattentionoftheHouse。’

PoorLawReformwasthusabandoned，buttwoattemptsweremade，atthe

instanceofPitt，oneofthemwithsuccess，tosoftenthebrutalitiesof

theLawofSettlement。Neitherproposalmadeitanyeasiertogainasettlement，

andPittveryproperlydeclaredthattheydidnotgonearlyfarenough。Pitt

hadallAdamSmith’sjusthatredoftheserestrictions，andinopposingWhitbread’s

Billforaminimumwagehepointedto’aradicalamendment’oftheLawof

Settlementasthetrueremedy。HewasnottheformalauthoroftheActof

1795，butitmaysafelybeassumedthathewasthechiefpowerbehindit。

ThisAct(85*)providedthatnobodywastoberemoveableuntilheorshebecame

actuallychargeabletotheparish。Thepreamblethrowslightontheworking

oftheSettlementlaws。Itdeclaresthat’Manyindustriouspoorpersons，

chargeabletotheparish，township，orplacewheretheylive，merelyfrom

wantofworkthere，wouldinanyotherplacewheresufficientemployment

istobehad，maintainthemselvesandfamilieswithoutbeingburthensome

toanyparish，township，orplace；andsuchpoorpersonsareforthemost

partcompelledtoliveintheirownparishes，townships，orplaces，andare

notpermittedtoinhabitelsewhere，underpretencethattheyarelikelyto

becomechargeabletotheparish，township，orplaceintowhichtheygofor

thepurposeofgettingemployment，althoughthelabourofsuchpoorpersons

might，inmanyinstances，beverybeneficialtosuchparish，township，or

place。’Thegrantingofcertificatesisthusadmittedtohavebeenineffectual。

ThesameActprovidedthatordersofremovalweretobesuspendedincases

wherethepauperwasdangerouslyill，aprovisionthatthrowssomelight

onthemannerinwhichtheseordershadbeenexecuted，andthatnoperson

shouldgainasettlementbypayingleviesortaxes，inrespectofanytenement

ofayearlyvalueoflessthantenpounds。(86*)

Fromthistimecertificateswereunnecessary，andifalabourermoved

fromParishAtoParishBhewasnolongerliabletobesentbackatthe

capriceofParishB’sofficersuntilhebecameactuallychargeable，but，

ofcourse，iffromanycausehefellintotemporarydistress，forexample，

ifhewereoutofworkforafewweeks，unlesshecouldgetprivateaidfrom

’theopulent，’hehadtoreturntohisoldparish。Anattemptwasmadeto

remedythisstateofthingsbyMr。Bakerwho，inMarch1800，introduceda

Bill(87*)toenableoverseerstoassistthedeservingbutunsettledpoor

incasesoftemporarydistress。HeexplainedthattheprovisionsoftheBill

wouldapplyonlytomenwhocouldusuallykeepthemselves，butfromthehigh

costofprovisionshadtodependonparochialaid。Hefoundapowerfulsupporter

inPitt，whoarguedthatifpeoplehadenrichedaparishwiththeirindustry，

itwasunfairthatowingtotemporarypressuretheyshouldberemovedto

aplacewheretheywerenotwanted，andthatitwasbetterforaparishto

suffert

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